Defining Public Relations Relationships and Diversity's Part in the Process: Practitioners' Perspectives

Abstract

This research attempts to determine how practitioners define the word relationship, when it is used to describe that between an organization and public, via qualitative means. In addition, respondents were asked to explain what makes a good relationship and a bad one. They were also asked to consider whether or not attention to diversity was important to building and maintaining public relations relationships. Although respondents were quick to note that relationships were integral to their work, they had difficulty defining the term. The importance of diversity to building and maintaining relationships was also difficult to determine.

KEYWORDS:

• diversity
• public relations
• relationships